Southern Kaduna Killings: ‘CP Agyole Has Been Manipulated, Group Says

The Southern Kaduna Unity and Peace Forum (SKUPF) said the utterances of Kaduna State Commissioner of Police (CP) Agyole Abeh claiming the killings in the area is exaggerated shows that the security apparatus has been manipulated.
The group also said that for the CP to libel leaders in Southern Kaduna as beneficiaries of mass murder of their people in a statement he could not even acknowledged the killing of his men in the battle field with the herdsmen shows that he has taken side.
The statement signed by Dr Daniel Kafwoi Bobai and Halima Gandu James, Chairman and Secretary respectively, the group said: “It is with shock and consternation that we observed the rigorous efforts of Kaduna State Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr. Agyole Abeh to denigrate and down play the endemic evil that has engulfed Southern Kaduna since April last year.”
“Abeh’s has put on a concerted campaign in the print and electronic media last week to say that the casualty figures in the ongoing genocide against native people of Southern Kaduna is exaggerated and that some community leaders were benefitting from the mass slaughter of their people and the destruction of their communities by armed herdsmen.”
” This is a very unfortunate statement and in the least, very disturbing, that the man tasked with the onerous responsibility of protecting the beleaguered people of Southern Kaduna would come so low to speak in the same tune with the enemies of the place,” the group said asking the Police Commissioner to repent.
“In what way would this add to the confidence building our people are already beginning to have on the police? Who does the CP wants to please and what does he stand to gain by stirring up an issue that had quieten?
“The statements are not only infuriating to the family members of hundreds of people killed, scores maimed into disability forever, thousands of widows and widowers, scores of communities totally destroyed, it is also a very inciting statement.”
“The depressing aspect of this is that while the communities have been able to bring the figures of those killed to over 800 last year, the police, which is statutorily supposed to give out the fatality figures, have failed to do so till date.”
“It is also equally very provocative and inciting for the police commissioner to affirmed assertively that some community leaders are benefiting from the tragedy of their own people without mentioning who are these leaders; how they have benefitted and by how much have they profited from the pogrom.”
“This has the potential of creating confusion and suspicion among the people of Southern Kaduna towards their leaders. It is also another means of discrediting our community leaders in the eyes of the world as dubious persons,” the statement said.
The group said: “He did not mentioned the Fulani militants who Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna state has proudly said that he paid sums of money as “compensation” to stop the killings in Southern Kaduna. Does Mr Abeh know if the same paid herdsmen are among others still carrying this killings for more “compensations?” So who indeed are the beneficiaries of these evil?
“Curiously CP Agyole Abeh showed little or no empathy for his four officers killed last week in Kafanchan in the same crisis that he says are exaggerated. He did not even mention how these police men under him paid the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their father land. Perhaps if he mentioned their murder he would not be to down play the extend of the massacre in Southern Kaduna. Is this the stuff that CPs are made of?
“What moral right does the CP has to prosecute anyone for making ‘unpleasant’ comments on the Southern Kaduna killings if he could so go public and cast a banner allegation over some Southern Kaduna community leaders after showing has taken side?
“If they are trying to use him, to rewrite the tragedy as “reprisal”, we need to inform him that the shinning sad, truth of our situation cannot be painted with the dark brush of lies and deceit.”
“What is happening in Southern Kaduna has nothing to do with reprisals. It is a clear attempt to wipe out natives of Southern Kaduna and the evidence screams to heaven. We are the victims and we ready to do whatever legal means it would take to get succor. We and our leaders have nothing to gain than pains, tears and sorrows in the ongoing cruelty targeted against us.”
“On this strength we wish to state that CP Agyole Abeh does not seem to possess a fair mind to pursue our security. We plead with the Nigeria Police Authority to remove him from Kaduna state. We have lost confidence in him.”
“We also call on our communities to do everything possible to respect the law and not be incited by the unfortunate comments of any unsympathetic person. Finally, Mr. Agyole Abeh should seek the forgiveness of God and submit his life to Christ. For everything in this life shall perish. When he gets to meet with his creator like everyone, only the good work he has done here will decide where he ends his eternity.